Bittersweet
by Lady Emily
Summary: A new twist on the season four DonnaCasey fire alarm disaster. [ED One shot.]


A/N: Okay, this is set near the end of season 4, when Donna and Casey go to the motel and Hyde pulls the fire alarm all night long, but Donna thinks it was Eric. Just a little twist I thought up.

Disclaimer: None of the characters from _That 70s Show_ belong to me.

---

"I am going to _kill_ him!" Donna Pinciotti fumed, pacing her backyard. "Casey and I couldn't even get into that hotel all night! Goddamn it, Eric! What is it? If you can't have me, no one can?"

Jackie Burkhart sat in a folding chair nearby, watching her friend rant. "Oh, get over it, Donna." she said. "You didn't want to have sex with Casey Kelso."

"Of course I did!" Donna exploded. "Casey's my boyfriend! I love him!"

Jackie sloshed her soda around in her cup, a bored expression on her face. "You do not. Casey may be gorgeous, but you don't want to do it with him. C'mon, Donna. He's a complete ass."

"Hey!" Donna said defensively. "Jackie!" Without warning she sighed and collapsed in another chair. "...Oh, fine, you're right."

Jackie rolled her eyes, barely looking at Donna, still watching the liquid sloshing in her cup.

"But Eric is such a jerk! What kind of dumbass breaks up with a girl and then screws up her chances with other people?" Donna looked to her friend for confirmation that her anger was righteous.

Jackie didn't give it. "Donna, get a clue! Eric still loves you. He obviously cares about you enough to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life, and all you want to do is bitch about him? Oh, _poor you._"

"What?" Donna asked. She frowned. "Is there something you need to talk about, Jackie?"

"You know what, Donna?" Jackie said coolly. "I'm getting sick of listening to you complain about _Eric this, Eric that_. Listen to this: Michael's been following me everywhere since that guy kissed me at work. He's acting like such a big baby. He doesn't trust me. He's stupid. He's immature. He makes fun of me behind my back. He cheated on me. He bounced me off a trampoline, for the love of god!" Jackie was shaking with anger and there were tears sparkling in her big dark eyes. "So, guess what? You could have bigger problems than a nice, skinny neighbor-boy like Eric who worships the ground you walk on and wants to make sure you never get hurt!"

Donna was stunned. "Jackie-"

"Yeah, Donna. You've got it real bad. _Poor Donna Pinciotti, who screwed over her last chance at true love!_" Jackie's little red lips tightened into an irritated pout, daring Donna to say another whiny word.

"Oh, my god." Donna breathed. "Jackie, you're right."

Jackie sighed. "Donna, it's obvious to everyone but you. You hurt Eric when you told him that you didn't need him in your future, and then you tried to make him jealous by getting with Casey to prove it. Well, congratulations on being a stubborn ass!" she calmed herself down. "Sorry. Look, the point is, Eric loves you, and I'd bet my last Pretty Pony that you still love him." She ignored the weird look Donna gave her. "But one of you has to be the bigger man and make the first move."

Donna nodded slowly, hesitantly.

"And, uh... no offense, Donna, but I think, out of the two of you, _you're_ the bigger man."

Donna swatted Jackie playfully and both girls cracked a smile for the first time that night.

Donna's eyes flickered towards the Forman driveway and Jackie noticed. "Look, Donna, we can fix _my_ Kelso problem later... I think if you go over there you could fix yours right now."

Donna stood, breathing nervously, and gave Jackie a hug. "You know, Jackie, you're not half bad." she whispered into the shorter girl's hair. "...Thank you."

Jackie pulled away and smiled at Donna, smacking her arm. "You're welcome- now, go get your man!" she smirked. "...If you can call him that..."

Donna rolled her eyes and headed next door slowly, stiffly. She was still trying to plan out what to say to Eric in her head. As she passed the Vista Cruiser in the driveway, she softly ghosted her fingers over the hood, suddenly feeling the pull of yearning in her stomach for all of the special moments she and Eric had shared there.

_What if he didn't take her back?_ The thought occurred to her suddenly and her courage faltered. He would probably be in the basement... probably alone, at this time of night... but all at once she was too ashamed to face him. _What kind of whore was she, that she would sleep with some random guy to make the boy she loved jealous?_ What if he said that to her? Called her on it? She didn't know if she could handle those words coming from him...

Slowly, gently, she hoisted herself up onto the hood of the Vista Cruiser, laying back against the windshield and curling her legs to her chest. "Eric..." she whispered.

"Yeah?"

Donna gasped and sat up so quickly she slid off the car, stumbling as her feet hit the driveway and teetering into Eric's arms. He steadied her as best he could and let go immediately, but she still felt the shiver from their contact echoing throughout her body... Was she just being weird, or had that always been there? "Did you... did you feel that?" she asked without thinking.

Eric rubbed his neck, might have been blushing. "I've always felt that." he confessed.

Donna tried not to let his words affect her. She changed the subject quickly. "You were at the hotel." she said. "Leo said he saw you-"

Eric gave a fake laugh. "Since when do we believe anything Leo says? Donna, he told me he met _Jesus_ at the_ bus stop_..."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, Eric." she said, fondness slipping into her voice. "I can't think of anyone else who would have a reason to pull the fire alarm every five minutes... all night."

"What?" Eric did a good job of feigning surprise. "Donna, I didn't! I mean, I don't mean I didn't want to, but-"

"Eric, you don't have to pretend with me." Donna whispered.

Eric cringed as though she was causing him physical pain. "I think I do, Donna."

"What?" Donna's voice was so low, so intense, that Eric couldn't lie to her.

"_You're not my girl anymore, so I have to pretend like you don't mean everything to me."_

"What!" Donna wasn't sure if he had said that or if she had just wanted him to so badly she'd imagined it.

Eric didn't answer her directly. "Casey's not the guy for you, Donna." he said, looking away, definitely blushing by now. "I... you know, I'm sorry."

"What?" Donna asked, confused.

"I know, I know I'm butting into your business and you probably hate me, I know, but, just... I still care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt."

_Just like Jackie had said._ "I know, Eric. And thanks." Donna pulled him in for a hug, but couldn't find the courage to turn it into a kiss. Eric just held her tightly like he never wanted to let go, and her whole body felt like it was glowing. "I wouldn't have done it, you know."

"Huh?" Eric asked.

"Sex with Casey." Donna answered quietly. "I wouldn't have."

Eric smiled. "Good, because he's a-"

"A jackass, so you said." Donna finished. _This was it, now or never..._ she twirled a long strand of red hair around her finger. "Eric, I've been miserable since we broke up."

He smiled bitterly. "Me too." There was a pause that seemed to last ten years before he added, "...But I'm sure that's how all breakups go, you know? I think we'll be fine, in time. We'll heal."

"I... yeah." Donna choked, her plan shot to hell. That wasn't the response she'd been expecting. _Did he mean he was healing, without her?_ She held out her hand. "So... friends?"

Eric took the hand and pulled her into another hug. "Friends." he confirmed.

The brush of her lips on his skin as they passed was not accidental.

They pulled apart and Eric seated himself on the hood of the Vista Cruiser. He offered a hand to help her up, but she shook her head.

"I've gotta get home." she said, flashing him a bittersweet smile. "I'll... see you around."

"You know where to find me."

She nodded, padding silently back toward her house.

Behind her, she heard the familiar sound of a fist pounding against the Cruiser.

---

A/N: I wanted to see how much I could change that scene without changing the ultimate outcome, and I think I like how it turned out. Of course, thank you all for reading! Now make my day and please review!


End file.
